The family of Kellie Baker of Strasburg hopes to raise awareness of bullying of people with disabilities after she was mocked by the host of a show on an Alliance radio station.

“My feeling is, if I can change the way one person thinks or feels, it would be phenomenal,” said Baker’s mother, Gigi Standiford. “Even better would be to change the way they react to people with disabilities.”

On Jan. 21, Baker, who has Down syndrome and is a client of Starlight Workshop in New Philadelphia, was trying to call a friend whom she hadn’t seen for a while. The 30-year-old said she found a piece of paper with a telephone number on it, so she dialed it, thinking it was her friend’s number. Instead, she dialed the number of Q92 in Alliance.

The host of “The Mo Show” answered the phone. “She thought she was speaking with her friend’s dad,” Standiford explained.

The radio host kept Baker on the phone for several minutes, and then played a recording of their conversation on the air. Near the end, Mo asked her if she knew who he was. Baker answered, “No.”

“OK, so I can laugh at you and you won’t know who to call and say you’re offended,” Mo said, and then laughed. “Very good.”

After the conversation, Baker called her mother. “She called and told me she was on the radio, and she said they were mocking her,” Standiford said. “She told me, ‘Mom, I’m 30 years old, and I have feelings, too.’ ”

Contacted Tuesday, the radio station issued a statement through its attorney, Amanda M. Paar Conroy of Tzangas, Plakas and Mannos of Canton:

“Q92 and ‘The Mo Show’ would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm its support of efforts to raise awareness regarding the challenges faced by those with developmental disabilities. Specifically, the station wishes to sincerely apologize again for any actions or comments that could be construed as making light of the challenges faced by persons that are developmentally disabled or casting those persons in any humorous light. The station’s policy is to treat our callers and listeners with the utmost respect, professionalism, and sensitivity.”

Natalie Lupi, superintendent of the Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities, has sent a letter to the radio station’s manager, Don Peterson III, expressing her concerns about the incident.

“I understand that what Mo did to this young woman by repeatedly playing clips and speculating about ‘what’s wrong with her,’ is part of his radio personality, and, based on the callers and texts supporting him, appeals to a certain segment of society,” Lupi wrote.

“It was opportunistic and embarrassing and painful to the young woman and her family. ... Words are powerful; old, inaccurate or inappropriate words perpetuate negative stereotypes and attitudinal barriers. When we describe people by their labels or by negative stereotypes, we devalue and disrespect them as individuals.”

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Baker’s father, Gary, who lives in Harlem Springs in Carroll County, was angry when he heard the story.

“At first, I wanted to see him get fired,” he said of the radio host. “Then we got to talking, and we realized that if he was fired, all that’s going to do is create trouble for Kellie. So we decided to go about it a different way.”

Instead, they have contacted the news media to get Kellie’s story out. The family was interviewed by Fox 8 News in Cleveland on Tuesday; CNN also has expressed an interest, Baker’s family said.

They’ve also created a website, kelliesstory.wordpress.com that has a blog to create awareness of bullying, and a Facebook page, where people can read a complete transcript of Baker’s conversation with the radio host.

Gigi Standiford agreed that she didn’t want Mo fired. “What we would like to see is to change their way of thinking, their narrow-minded way of thinking,” she said.

This isn’t the first time Q92 has come under fire for ridiculing individuals with disabilities. In 2006, numerous area advocacy groups, including The Arc of Ohio, urged the radio station to stop airing a bit dubbed “Name that Tune with Mongoloid Mike.” The bit invited listeners to “name that tune” after a character voiced lyrics to a popular song as if sung by a person with a disability.

Baker said she’s fortunate to have a close-knit family who has rallied around her.

When her sister Courtney Standiford, a student at West Virginia University in Morgantown, heard about it, she called Mo to defend Baker. Mo hung up on her, said Gigi Standiford, adding:

“Kellie just told me, ‘I’m so lucky I have a family that sticks up for me.’ ”